System of handling granular slag.



w. s. DUN'HAM.

SYSTEM 0F HANDLING GRANULAR SLAG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2l. ISH.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Got. 29, |918.

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W. S. DUNHAM.

SYSTEM 0F HANDLING GRANULAR SLAG.V

APPLICATXDN HLEU NOVA 2|, NJIT.

INVENTOR Patented 0st. 29, 1918.

` 2 sains-sneu 2 -mlmzk UNITED sTATns rnrnNT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. DUNH'M, 0F SHARPSVILLE, PENISYILYANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WELLS WHEELER, 0F SHAB-PSV'ILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

sYsrM or HANDLING GnANULAn SLAG.

Slpeoationof Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 29, 191e.

nppnauo una neven-'15er 21, i917: sensi No. 20am.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, WILLIAM S. DUNHAM, a resident of Sharpsville, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement ih Systems of Handling Granular Slag, of whichthe following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling line material, and particularly granular slag.

The object of the invention is to provide means for carryingr granular waste material from a hopper car to a distance from'arailway track, and there to discharge'it. The apparatus 'for accomplishing' this object, and other objects which willmore fully appear, comprises a trough adaptedfto receive m`aterial when discharged from the bottom of an ordin'aryr hopper car, and to carry it by force of a stream of water through a series of connecting troughs to any desired discharge point. Means are provided Jfor producing the necessary water pressure, and for applying this at any desired point.

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the complete invention, in use with one form of hopper car; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the discharge trough `of the apparatus, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a partial section and end View of the trough, on the line 1-4 of Fig'. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing a modification, adapting the apparatus to a dierent type of car, the trough being located underneath the railway track; and Fig. 6 is a plan Viewr showing another modification adapted for use with a type of car having longitudinal central or side discharge openings;

In handling certain materials, such as granular slag, it is frequently desirable to transport them'in railway hopper'c'ars and to discharge them therefrom vonv either a wastea bank, or dump, or "else to'us'e this material for filling waste grounds or building up the sides of railway ,f g'rad'e banks'. Unless the-material is discharged directlyr from the bottom of the car, and allowed tofall through a trestle support, it must be removed from the car by eriterna'l means, such as hauling in wagons, wheel. barrows, etc. lt is very desirable for the purpose of econonly of labor and time thatsuch material be transported directly to the point where itis to be dumped, and that the discharge may b'e made directly and automatically from the car to the point where the material is to remain.' The present invention furnishes 'means for accomplishing this obyect.

Ordinarily slag is used for filling low ground, or at any rate it is discharged in such manner that tracks may be laid on the bank of dumped material, to support cars which transport it tothe dump, By the methods usually employed, it is necessary to freqentlyrelay the tracks to keep them at theedge of the pile of loose material.

The apparatus of this invention comprises a connection 1 to any suitable source of water supply,-here shown as a pool or stream W,-a pump of any desired form, as for example' a centrifugal pump 2, driven by direct connection to a motor 3. The pump has a connection 4 to a main 5, which extends nearby and parallel to the rails 6 of a track laid along the top of the bank fornled by dumping the granular material. Themain 5 has at intervals of about a car length apart, hydrants 7, adapted to be connected to ai hose El.y and controlled by hand operated valves 9.

A trough 10 is adapted to extend across the track `and to seat on the rails thereof. as shown in Fig. 1. This trough is entirely openat the top and at one end. The other end is' closed by a wall 11, through which extends a circular casing 12, as shown in section in Fig. 2. Fixed on the outside of the wall 11, is a windlass 13 having a ratchet wheel 14 and pawl 15 connected so as tonorinally allow the wndlass to turn in one direction only. The windlass is driven by a shaft extension 16, and crank 17.

T he casing 12 is adapted to receive a metal pipe nozzle 18, clamped in the end of hose 8. The nzzle may be freely moved back and orthfinside the casing 12.

By means of the windlass just described, the ndzzle maybe forced into the trough against a considerable back pressure, as and 'for the purposes more fully described below.

Troughs 19 are provided to extend from the main trough 10, to any desired length. These latter units are in the form of troughs similar in cross section to that of the main trough 10, but open at each end and unobstructed throughout their length. Any desired number of these units may be connectlowing granular sla or other Waste mateed up in the manner shown in Fig. 3, by simply lapping each trough over the next succeeding trough, and preferably applying them to a surface which Will furnish a slight inclination toward the open end.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows:

One or more cars loaded with slag, or similar granular material, which it is delsired to dump on the edge of bank 20, are transported to the desired position on the tracks. By reason of the position of water main 5 alongside this track, for a considerable distance, and the provision of connections 7 at frequent intervals along the main, cars may be unloaded at any position that they may be left. For example in Fig. 1, the steel hopper car 21 is not exactly beside one of the hydrants 7, but the connecting hose 8 is of such length that it extends to the car. 1f the position of the car were different, the only result would be the necessity of connecting the hose to a different hydrant. The car 21 is a standard form of steel hopper car, having transverse discharge gates. The trough 10 is placed directly beneath these gates, and supplementary troughs 19 are connected, extending to the edge of the bank 20. The trough 10 is held in place by a track hook 22, as shown in Fig. 3. Water driven under considerable pressure by the pump 2 is forced through the nozzle 18, and discharged through the series of troughs. This stream having been previously established, the gate 23 of the car is opened, al-

rial, to run from tie car into trough 10. The fine material is carried oi by the stream of Water from the nozzle 18 and transported along the troughs 19 to the edge of the bank as shown in Fig. 3. There the water readily soaks into the bank or runs awa leaving the granular material deposite just as though it had been dumped directly from the car on the edge of the bank.

There is a considerable back pressure on the nozzle 18, which is the reason for having the ratchet attachment on the Windlass 13 as above described. By this arrangement and by the connecting rope 24, attached at one end of the Windlass and at the other to a collar 25, on the nozzle 18, the nozzle is not only held in place against reverse pressure, but may be forced to any desired osition against pressure underneath the loa of slag dumped into the trough from the discharge openings of the car.

The car 21 has transverse gates 23, connected by a cross bar 26, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. With this type of car, the material is discharged directly into the trough 10 which may be placed on top of the rails, without any other attachment than hook 22. However, a number of different types of hopper cars are standard equipment, and it may be the openin en necessary to modify my trough arrangement somewhat in order to take the direct discharge of the material from various types of hopper cars.

1n Figs. 5 and (5 are illustrated diagramn'iatically, a different car body, and means for receiving the discharge therefrom. ln Fig. 5, a car body 21a is illustrated, the trucks being omitted for the sake of clearness. This type of car has longitudinal discharge openings, which Would normally throw the dumped material outside the track, or in the middle thereof. 1n F ig. (i. 1 have shown means for receiving discharge from such cars, as Well 'as from any type in which there is a central longitudinal discharge opening, or longitudinal side openings. This arrangement consists in putting the main receiving trough 10 underneath the rails, and across the track and providing supplemental longitudinal receiving troughs, or hoppers 27, and 28. The hoppers 27 are situated just outside the track and parallel thereto and are somewhat greater in length than the car discharge opening from which they are adapted to receive material. The hopper 28 is situated between the rails and is adapted to receive material from a central longitudinal opening as Will be obvious. Each of these supplemental hoppers, 27 and 28 has sloping sides and has a central opening at the bottoni, adapted to dischar e ma terial into the trough 10, from Whiei it is carried olf as descrlbed in connection with Figs. 1 and 3, above. Other modifications may be provided to take care of special forms of discharge openings, as Will be obvious.

During the unloading operation the nozzle 18 may be moved back and forth, according to the requirements of the special case, and it will be :found that the granular material will be carried down the trough by force of the stream of Water and discharged at the desired point.

It Will be understood that the apparatus is applicable to other materials than slag, such as sand, coal dust, Waste dust, etc.

I claim:

1. Aplparatus for discharging granular materia from hopper cars comprising a trou h extending across the track beneath the ischarge ort of the car, a nozzle eX- tending throug a closed end of the trough, means fixed on the trough to adjust the position of the-nozzle relative to the discharge port of the car, means to force a stream of Water under pressure through the nozzle whereby to carr the ranular material from of t e trou h, and a series of separab e extension mem ers ada ted to lead the discharged material from t e end of the trough.

2. Apparatus for discharging ne material from hopper cars comprising a trough extending across a track beneath the discharge opening of the cars, said trough having one end closed and the other open, a casing in the end of the trough, a pipe extending through the casing fixed in the closed end of the trough, a windlass on the closed end of the trough, a ro e attached to the outer end of the pipe an to the windlass whereby to adjust the position of the nozzle relative to the discharge opening of the car, and means to force a stream of water under pressure through the pipe to carry off the material in the car into the trough.

3. Apparatus for discharging powdered material from hopper cars comprising a source of water pressure, a water main extending parallel to a railway track, connection at car lengths to said Water main, a trough adapted to extend across the track beneath the discharge opening of the car on the track, a hose connected to the water main, a nozzle on the hose extending into the trough and su ported thereby, means to force the nozzle forward relative to the length of the trough, and separable extensions of the trou h whereby the powdered material is carrie to a discharge point at a distance from the track.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 30 my hand.

WILLIAM S. DUNHAM. Witness:

E. A. TURNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Intenta,

Washington, D. G. 

